tensive and important district east of the Penobscot river to his Majesty's arms. In adverting to these events, I am confident you will be disposed to render full justice to the valour and discipline which have distinguished his Majesty's land and sea forces; and you will regret with me the severe loss the country has sustained by the fall of the gallaut commander of his Majesty's troops in the advance upon Baltimore. I availed myself of the earliest opportunity afforded by the state of affairs in Europe, to detach a considerable military force to the river St. Lawrence; but its arrival could not possibly take place till an advanced period of the campaign, Nothwithstanding the reverse which appears to have occurred on Lake Champlain, I entertain the most confident expectation, as well from the amount as from the description of the British force now serving in Canada, that the ascendancy of his Majesty's arms throughout that part of North America will be effectually established. The opening of the Congress at Vienna has been retarded, from unavoidable causes, to a later period than had been expected. It will be earnest endeavour, my in the negociations which are now in progress, to promote such arrangements as may tend to consolidate that peace which, in conjunction with his Majesty's allies, I have had the happiness of concluding; and to re-establish that just equilibrium amongst the different Powers which will afford the best prospect of permanent tranquillity to Europe. Gentlemen of the House of I have directed the estimates for the ensuing year to be laid before you. I am happy to be able to inform you, that the revenue and commerce of the United Kingdom are in the most flourishing condition, I regret the necessity of the large expenditure which we must be prepared to meet in the course of the ensuing year; but the circumstances under which the long and arduous contest in Europe has been carried on and concluded, have unavoidably led to large arrears, for which you will see the necessity of providing; and the war still subsisting with America, renders the continuance of great exertions indispensable. My Lords and Gentlemen, The peculiar character of the late war, as well as the extraordinary length of its duration, must have materially affected the internal situation of all the countries engaged in it, as well as the commercial relations which formerly subsisted between them. Under these circumstances I am confident you will see the expediency of proceeding with due caution in the adoption of such regulations as may be necessary for the purpose of extending our trade, and securing our present advantages; and you may rely on my in every measure which is calcucordial co-operation and assistance lated to contribute to the prosperity and welfare of his Majesty's dominions. Circular Letter sent by the Secretary of State for the Home De partment to the Commanding Officers of those Regiments of British Militia which remain embodied, together with the Opinion of the Attorney and Solicitor General therein referred to: "Whitehall, Nov. 18, 1814. "Sir, Some doubts having been expressed, as to the legality of keeping the militia, or any part of it, embodied, under the present circumstances in which the country is placed, the question has been referred for the consideration of his Majesty's Attorney and Solicitor General, a copy of whose opinion thereon I have the honour to enclose. "You will not fail to take the earliest opportunity of communicating the same to the regiment under your command; and you will at the same time explain to the men, that as the oath taken by the substitutes and volunteers is to serve for five years, or for such further time as the militia may remain embodied, and not (as has been erroneously supposed) during the war, no substitute or volunteer is entitled to his discharge until the militia shall have been actually disembodied. And you will add, that although it is the unquestionable right of his Majesty to keep the militia embodied notwithstanding the termination of the war with France, it is nevertheless the Prince Regent's wish and intention to order the disembodying of the remaining regiments to take place with as little delay as may be consistent with a due regard to the public safety: and he trusts, that until that period shall arrive, the conduct of the men will be marked by that steady attention to their duty and to the commands of their officers, by which it has been uniformly distinguished since they have been embodied. "I am, Sir, “ SIDMOUTH.” "To the Officers commanding those Regiments of British Militia which remain embodied." Lincoln's Inn, Nov. 17, 1814. My Lord, We have had the honour to receive your lordship's letter of yesterday's date, stating that some doubts having been expressed whether the militia of Great Britain can legally be kept embodied under the present circumstance in which the country is placed, your lordship is pleased to desire, that we will take into our immediate consideration the several Acts relating to the militia, particularly the 42nd Geo. 3, cap. 90 and 91; and report to you, for the information of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, our opinion whether under any, and what circumstances, it is imperative upon the King to order the immediate disembodying of the militia. We have accordingly considered the same, and beg leave to report to your lordship, that we are of opinion, that when once the militia have been embodied upon the occasions stated in, and according to the provisions of the Acts, there is nothing imperative in the act, as to the time at or occasion upon which the militia is to be disembodied; there is a discretion upon the subject of disembodying the militia vested in his Majesty, subject always to the responsibility which attaches upon the ministers of his Majesty, if they shall advise him to continue the militia embodied when no circumstances exist in which the external relations, or internal situation of the country could make the continuance of the militia in their embodied state a matter of expedience for the general welfare and benefit of his majesty's government and dominions. ty's order for disembodying, are entitled to, or can claim to be discharged from service, but that it must be in the discretion of his majesty's government, acting upon their knowledge of facts, and upon their constitutional responsibility, if they shall see proper, to suspend any order which may have been issued, but not in fact carried into execution. We have, &c. W. GARROW, Parliamentary Report on Weights and Measures. It may not be improper to add, that as by the statute 42 Geo. 3, c. 90, section 111, his Majesty is empowered, in the cases there Lord Viscount Sidmouth, &c. stated, to embody "the whole of the militia force of the country, or so many of the regiments, or such part or proportion of them or any of them, as his majesty shall in his wisdom think necessary, and in such manner as shall be best adapted to the circumstances of the danger;" and as by section 144, it is provided "that it shall be lawful for his Majesty, from time to time, as he shall think fit, to disembody any part or proportion of any militia embodied under the, act, and from time to time again to draw out and embody any such militia so embodied, or any proportion thereof, as to his Majesty shall seem necessary." We are of opinion, that if the external and internal situation of the country shall, at any time, in the judgment of his majesty, call for and justify a reduction of the militia force of the realm, such reduction, by disembodying, can be governed only by the sound discretion of his Majesty's ministers; and that if a partial reduction of some egiments shall at any time be ordered, it by no means follows that any other regiments or any person serving in any regiment, not included in his Majes The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the original Standards of Weights and Measures in this Kingdom, and to consider the Laws relating thereto; and to report their Observations thereupon, together with their Opinion of the most effectual means for ascertaining and enforcing uniform and certain Standards of Weights and Measures to be used for the future; and to whom were referred the Reports which, upon the 26th day of May, 1758, and the 11th day of April, 1759, were made from the Committee appointed to inquire into the original Standards of Weights and Measures in this Kingdom, and to consider the Laws relating thereto; and also the Standard Weights and Measures referred to in the said Reports ; have examined the Matters to them referred, and agreed upon the following Report: Your Committee, in the first place, proceeded to inquire what measures had been taken to esta blish uniform weights and measures throughout the kingdom. They found that this subject had engaged the attention of Parliament at a very early period. The Statute Book from the time of Henry the Third abounds with Acts of Parliament enacting and declaring that there should be one uniform weight and measure throughout the realm; and every act complains that the preceding statutes had been ineffectual, and that the laws were disobeyed. The Select Committee of the House of Commons, which was appointed in the year 1758, to inquire into the original standards of weights and measures in this kingdom, and to consider the laws relating thereto, made a very elaborate report on this subject, in which is contained all the information that is necessary with regard to the inquiry into what were the original standards of weights and measures: such parts of that report as have appeared to your Committee to be most important, are inserted in the appendix to this report. The Committee of 1758 first give an abridged state of the several statutes which have been enacted relating to weights and measures, 1st, so far as they establish any weights and measures, or standards for the same; and 2nd, so far as any means, checks, or sanctions are provided to compel the use of the established weights and measures or to punish disobedience. The Committe then point out what appeared to them to be the principal causes which had prevented the attainment of that uniformity, so much and so wisely desired by Parliament. These are were stated to be the want of skill in the artificers, who from time to time made copies of the standards kept in the exchequer; and as these imperfect measures again copied from, every error was multiplied, till the variety of standards rendered it difficult to know what was the real standard, or to apply any adequate remedy. In the second place, the multiplicity of statutes made on this subject, many of which are at variance with one another, and in many of which there are partial exceptions of particular counties, and particular articles, from the operation of the acts, appeared to the Committee to be the principal cause of the various errors which were every where found to prevail. Upon an accurate comparison of the various measures preserved in the Exchequer, and which are directed to be used for sizing and adjusting all other measures, they were found to differ materially from each other, and yet (the Committee observe) as the law now stands, all these measures must be understood to contain the like quantities, are equally legal, and inay be indiscriminately used." Öf these various measures the Committee recommend the adoption of the ale gallon of 282 cubical inches, and to abolish the use of all the others. They also recommend that the troy pound should be the only standard of weight. Though your Committee agree entirely with the Report of the Committee of 1758, that there should be only one gallon for measuring all articles whatsoever, and only one denomination of weight, yet they cannot concur, for reasons which will be hereafter stated, in the selection made by that Committee in appointing these standards. This Report was agreed to by the House and in the year 1765, two bills were brought in by Lord Carysfort, who was Chairman of the Committee of 1758, for the purpose of carrying into effect the resolutions of that Committee. These bills were severally read a first and second time, and committed; and the bills, as amended by the Committee, were dered to be printed on the 8th day of May. Parliament was, however, prorogued in that year on the 25th day of May; and these Bills, which (as far as can be collected from the Journals), were approved of by the House, were thus unfortunately lost. or Since that period, little has been done to accomplish this important object. A committee was indeed appointed in the year 1790, but they do not appear to have made any progress, as your Committee have been unable to find any minutes of their proceedings. Two acts were passed in the years 1795 and 1797, the 35th Geo. III. cap. 102, and 37 Geo. III. cap. 143, which empower Justices of the Peace to search for and destroy false weights, and to punish the persons in whose possession they are found; but no mention is made in these acts of deficient measures, Your Committee now proceed to state what appear to them to be the principal causes which have prevented the establishment of quiform weights, and measures; and to state the reasons which have induced them to differ from the Committee of 1758, in some of their resolutions. It appears to your Committee, that the great causes of the inaecuracies which have prevailed, are the want of a fixed standard in nature, with which the standards of measure might at all times be easily compared, the want of a simple mode of connecting the measures of length with those of capacity and weight, and also the want of proper tables of equalization, by means of which the old measures might have readily been converted into the new standards. Some rude attempts seem to have been made to establish a mode of connecting the measures of capacity with weight. In an act of the 51st of Henry Third, intituled, "Assisa Panis et Cervisiæ," it is declared, "that an English penny, called the sterling, round without clipping, should weigh 32 grains of wheat, well dried and gathered out of the middle of the ear; and 20 pence to make an ounce, 12 ounces pound, 8 pounds a gallon of wine, and 8 gallons of wine a bushel of London." a Nothing, however, can be more uncertain and inaccurate than this method of determining the size of a gallon measure by the weight of a certain number of grains of wheat, which must vary according to the season and the nature of the soil and climate where they are produced. In order to obtain some infor mation as to what were the best means of comparing the standards of length, with some invariable natural standard, your Committee proceeded to examine Dr. W: Hyde Wollaston, secretary to the |